Our Spur of the Moment Life
Monday, April 16, 2012
Donald Miller
“If we are not willing to wake up in the morning and die to ourselves, perhaps we should ask ourselves whether or not we are really following Jesus.”
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Devotion
I loved my baseball chapel story this morning so I thought I'd share. Taken from www.baseballchapel.org
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“After the earthquake came a fire, but The Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.” 1 Kings 19:12
Let me share with you a story about a young man and his grandfather. The young man had recently lost his job and didn’t know which way to turn. His grandfather had always been a voice of reason in his life, so the young man got in his truck and paid him a visit.
When he pulled up in the drive, the young man found his grandfather patiently waiting for him in the rocking chair on the front porch. After getting out and exchanging pleasantries, the conversation soon turned to the young man’s job loss. Pacing about the porch, the young man ranted about his problem until finally with clenched fists he shouted, “I’ve begged God to say something to help me. Tell me grandpa, why doesn’t God answer? I don’t understand.”
His grandfather, still gently rocking in his chair, spoke something in reply - something so hushed it was indistinguishable. The young man stepped across the porch. “What did you say grandpa?” he asked. His grandfather repeated himself, but again in a tone as soft as a whisper. So the young man moved closer until he was leaning on the rocking chair. “I’m sorry for yelling,” he said, “ but I still didn’t hear you.” With their heads bent together, his grandfather spoke once more. “God sometimes whispers,” he said, “so we will move closer to hear Him.” This time the young man heard his grandfather and he understood
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I loved the word picture that this story painted. I want my head bent together with His.
Happy Jesus is Alive Day!!!!
_________________________________
“After the earthquake came a fire, but The Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.” 1 Kings 19:12
Let me share with you a story about a young man and his grandfather. The young man had recently lost his job and didn’t know which way to turn. His grandfather had always been a voice of reason in his life, so the young man got in his truck and paid him a visit.
When he pulled up in the drive, the young man found his grandfather patiently waiting for him in the rocking chair on the front porch. After getting out and exchanging pleasantries, the conversation soon turned to the young man’s job loss. Pacing about the porch, the young man ranted about his problem until finally with clenched fists he shouted, “I’ve begged God to say something to help me. Tell me grandpa, why doesn’t God answer? I don’t understand.”
His grandfather, still gently rocking in his chair, spoke something in reply - something so hushed it was indistinguishable. The young man stepped across the porch. “What did you say grandpa?” he asked. His grandfather repeated himself, but again in a tone as soft as a whisper. So the young man moved closer until he was leaning on the rocking chair. “I’m sorry for yelling,” he said, “ but I still didn’t hear you.” With their heads bent together, his grandfather spoke once more. “God sometimes whispers,” he said, “so we will move closer to hear Him.” This time the young man heard his grandfather and he understood
________________________________
I loved the word picture that this story painted. I want my head bent together with His.
Happy Jesus is Alive Day!!!!
Saturday, March 31, 2012
God is Good
So it's the last day of Spring Training and when Tim left for the field this morning, we still had no idea as to where we'd be living in 24 hours. That's the nature of this game - uncertainty.
When I first met Tim back in college, the only things I knew about baseball came from my brief stint as outfield onion picker on my 8 and under softball team (i.e. 3 strikes and you're out). Little did I know that this game would change my life.
I often joke that baseball is my sister wife; my husband's other love. We don't necessarily like each other, but we tolerate each other because he loves us both. But starting this off season and continuing into now, God's shown me reasons to love this crazy game and the uncertain life that it brings: it pushes me further into Him. If you don't know me, I can be a bit... Ummm... Tim might say hard headed. I've always (unfortunately) had to learn from my own mistakes and tried to control situations in my life. This has always led to me (again...unfortunately) trying to fix things and live life without asking for my Creator's help. With baseball, I have zero control. And when I say zero, I mean sub zero. Below what you think is possible. Zip. Nada. NONE. Baseball robs me of every constant in my life. Thus, forcing me to *cringe* TRUST God's plan.
This winter God laid a thought on my heart and has been reminding me of it every day since: Baseball is my mission field. We see so many places and meet so many people through this game. We are called to make disciples. This is my mission field. So I knew wherever God sent us, that's where He wanted our mission to be.
Easier said than done.
C.S. Lewis once said “We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be.” This is where I have been. As days passed here in Arizona, and other guys were finding out their plans, I began to let fear overtake my being. I knew that God would provide. He always has. There've been nights when we blew up an air mattress and slept in the bat boy's locker room, but we had a roof over our heads. Even last year, when he got released, it turned out for the better. So my issue has never been "WILL God provide?", it's how hard life would have to be while obeying. What if He wanted us HERE?! In Arizona?! Or what if he wanted Tim to get released... Again? I let all of the bad possibilities overtake my thoughts and forgot the most important thing for a while: GOD IS ON HIS THRONE. Period. No matter where we are. Over the past few days (wih STILL no word), I've come to peace with that.
My husband just texted me and told me he made the AAA roster. This is huge for us considering that a few hours ago we were wondering if he'd have a job at all. But you know what I realized when I heard the news? God is not good because my husband is going to AAA, or because he has a job. God is good because He is God. He loves us more than our human brains can comprehend. Always has. Always will. He uses tough times and periods of waiting to draw us closer to Him. God is no better today because my husband made a team than he was around this time last year when my husband got released. He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us. He says he has a plan; to prosper us, not to harm us. This is always. Good times, bad times, yesterday, today, forever. God didn't put us in Louisville so that we could boast, He put us there because that's where He wants us to serve right now.
I fully realize how much God has blessed me with, or without, baseball. He has given me a family that shows me unconditional love, a husband that loves Christ more than he loves me, a roof over my head, and -oh yeah- HIS SON. That's where my strength comes from. Knowing that He will never, ever, ever, leave me.
Let me say this one more time: God is not good because my husband has a job. He is good because He is God. Valleys will come. Hardships will show up. But I know that God will always walk in front of me so that I don't fall. So take THAT baseball. There IS a constant in my life.
When I first met Tim back in college, the only things I knew about baseball came from my brief stint as outfield onion picker on my 8 and under softball team (i.e. 3 strikes and you're out). Little did I know that this game would change my life.
I often joke that baseball is my sister wife; my husband's other love. We don't necessarily like each other, but we tolerate each other because he loves us both. But starting this off season and continuing into now, God's shown me reasons to love this crazy game and the uncertain life that it brings: it pushes me further into Him. If you don't know me, I can be a bit... Ummm... Tim might say hard headed. I've always (unfortunately) had to learn from my own mistakes and tried to control situations in my life. This has always led to me (again...unfortunately) trying to fix things and live life without asking for my Creator's help. With baseball, I have zero control. And when I say zero, I mean sub zero. Below what you think is possible. Zip. Nada. NONE. Baseball robs me of every constant in my life. Thus, forcing me to *cringe* TRUST God's plan.
This winter God laid a thought on my heart and has been reminding me of it every day since: Baseball is my mission field. We see so many places and meet so many people through this game. We are called to make disciples. This is my mission field. So I knew wherever God sent us, that's where He wanted our mission to be.
Easier said than done.
C.S. Lewis once said “We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be.” This is where I have been. As days passed here in Arizona, and other guys were finding out their plans, I began to let fear overtake my being. I knew that God would provide. He always has. There've been nights when we blew up an air mattress and slept in the bat boy's locker room, but we had a roof over our heads. Even last year, when he got released, it turned out for the better. So my issue has never been "WILL God provide?", it's how hard life would have to be while obeying. What if He wanted us HERE?! In Arizona?! Or what if he wanted Tim to get released... Again? I let all of the bad possibilities overtake my thoughts and forgot the most important thing for a while: GOD IS ON HIS THRONE. Period. No matter where we are. Over the past few days (wih STILL no word), I've come to peace with that.
My husband just texted me and told me he made the AAA roster. This is huge for us considering that a few hours ago we were wondering if he'd have a job at all. But you know what I realized when I heard the news? God is not good because my husband is going to AAA, or because he has a job. God is good because He is God. He loves us more than our human brains can comprehend. Always has. Always will. He uses tough times and periods of waiting to draw us closer to Him. God is no better today because my husband made a team than he was around this time last year when my husband got released. He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us. He says he has a plan; to prosper us, not to harm us. This is always. Good times, bad times, yesterday, today, forever. God didn't put us in Louisville so that we could boast, He put us there because that's where He wants us to serve right now.
I fully realize how much God has blessed me with, or without, baseball. He has given me a family that shows me unconditional love, a husband that loves Christ more than he loves me, a roof over my head, and -oh yeah- HIS SON. That's where my strength comes from. Knowing that He will never, ever, ever, leave me.
Let me say this one more time: God is not good because my husband has a job. He is good because He is God. Valleys will come. Hardships will show up. But I know that God will always walk in front of me so that I don't fall. So take THAT baseball. There IS a constant in my life.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Cousins.
Do you ever really think about cousins? How they are really just the greatest? They're family, they can be friends, and you aren't toooo closely related, you know? They don't nag, they can't punish you...... And that leads me to say- I truly have the greatest cousin EVER! If you have ever met Maddox, you would understand. Hilarious, honest, and just plain fabulous. I just felt I needed to share how blessed I am. I am truly sorry towards anyone without a cousin as marvelous as mine.
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